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The India men’s cricket team has endured a decade-long wait for major success in International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments. Their last triumph came in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, under the astute leadership of MS Dhoni in England. Since then, India has reached the semifinals and finals of ICC events across formats on four occasions each but has been unable to add any silverware to their illustrious cricketing legacy, leaving their ardent fans and the team itself yearning for ICC glory.
Now, Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler turned highly respected cricket commentator, has thrown his weight behind the Indian team. He believes that they have a good chance of not only performing well but also potentially ending their decade-long ICC title drought in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, which will be hosted in India.
Bishop opines that home crowd can be a significant asset
During his conversation with Revsportz, Bishop was posed with a crucial question regarding whether Rohit Sharma‘s Indian cricket team would enjoy an advantage by playing in front of the passionate home crowd in the upcoming quadrennial event. In response, the 55-year-old expressed his belief that having the support of the home crowd can be a significant asset for the Men in Blue. He emphasized that the fans’ motivation and enthusiasm, particularly in a prestigious tournament like the ODI World Cup, can uplift the players and potentially influence their performance positively
“It helps. It actually does. I can tell you when I played in front of home fans at the Queens Park Oval and they were screaming for me to pick wickets and you weren’t being able to, you wanted the ground to open up and just disappear. But when you have the experience, you know that you can have one bad session but you have the opportunity of coming back. That’s what experience does for you. It helps you a lot on the big stage,” Bishop said.
Bishop believes that knowledge is an advantage
Bishop also highlighted the advantage that Indian players possess due to their deep understanding of the home conditions, giving them a slight edge over their opponents.
“I am. Absolutely I am. I am saying knowledge of the conditions gives you a significant advantage. I am not guaranteeing anything, but I am indeed saying that such knowledge is an advantage. While you still have to do the leg work, knowing the conditions will give India an edge going into the World Cup,” the Belmont-born cricketer concluded.
India’s next cricketing challenge is the Asia Cup 2023, where they have been grouped in Group A alongside traditional rivals Pakistan and Nepal. The seven-time champions of the tournament will kick off their campaign with a high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele, Sri Lanka.
